Edward O. Comitz

Ed Comitz heads the healthcare  and disability insurance practice of Comitz  | Beethe, earning a national reputation for prosecuting disability insurance  claims on behalf of individuals based on bad faith and unfair business  practices.  He has built one of the  largest and most successful practices in the country, tirelessly representing aggrieved  policyholders on the most difficult cases.   Ed Comitz optimizes outcomes.  He  is an unrelenting litigator and keen strategist with a thorough understanding  of the disability insurance industry and its nuances.  Experience, hard work and a successful track  record, including the return of tens of millions of dollars to his clients,  have earned Mr. Comitz well-deserved respect in the disability insurance   industry.    

Commitment        

Mr. Comitz knows that too often,  insurance carriers make the disability insurance claim process lengthy,  confusing, and altogether overwhelming. Years of legal experience handling the  toughest cases has given him a unique perspective on how insurers operate and  has bolstered his commitment to shift the balance of power in favor of his clients.  As one commentator noted, “Mr. Comitz has  dedicated himself to knowing more about insurers and their practices than they  do. He has a real talent for leveraging his experience and optimizing the  outcome of any matter in which he is involved.”    

Having dealt with his own  debilitating injury, Mr. Comitz understands the challenges of trying to  function professionally in the face of a seriously limiting condition. He is  sympathetic to the physical limitations and restrictions that others may not  fully understand, and especially appreciates the particular safety concerns  inherent in the work of healthcare professionals. Because of his experiences,  both personally and professionally, Mr. Comitz is unwavering in his dedication  to provide clients with the disability insurance benefits they deserve.     

Experience     

Mr. Comitz has vast experience in  disability insurance litigation, representing physicians, dentists, attorneys,  CEOs and other corporate executives, professional athletes, engineers,  architects, and other professionals in reversing denials of their disability  insurance claims.   He has also represented  professional and institutional clients in complex litigation matters involving unfair   business practices, business torts, class actions, fraud and securities  matters.  He is widely recognized as a  leader in defending the rights of victims of corporate and other large-scale  wrongdoing.

Mr. Comitz has served as lead or  co-lead counsel and on litigation teams on several high-profile consumer  protection cases, including, among many others, Grant v. Arthur Andersen, L.L.P. et al., the securities fraud and  consumer class action arising out of the breakdown of the Baptist Foundation of  Arizona (BFA). In those proceedings, class counsel and others reached  settlements totaling $238 million, including a $217 million settlement with  Arthur Andersen relating to its role as auditor for BFA. The $217 million  settlement with Arthur Andersen is the largest settlement amount ever paid by a  Big Five accounting firm not associated with the savings and loan crisis, and  two times the settlement amount Arthur Andersen has ever agreed to in settlement  of an auditing claim. In addition, while associated with the international law  firm, Squire Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P., Mr. Comitz served on trial teams in  multi-billion dollar antitrust litigation involving key participants in the  satellite communications industry. Prior to moving to Phoenix, Mr. Comitz had a successful disability insurance practice in Tucson at DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy, P.C.    

Recognition  

Mr. Comitz has earned an  AV-rating, the highest possible rating available for individual attorneys, by  the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. This mark of professional excellence is  predicated on “preeminent legal abilities” and high ethical standards. In  addition, Mr. Comitz was named a Southwest Super Lawyer by Law and Politics in  its inaugural edition. The rigorous selection process included 18,000 attorney  ballots, followed by creation of a candidate pool, extensive peer evaluation  and final selection.  Only the top 5% of  the total lawyers in Arizona and New Mexico were selected.  Mr. Comitz also ranked “Superb” by Avvo,  which rates and profiles over 90% of licensed attorneys in the U.S. based on  research, client reviews, lawyer disciplinary histories and peer endorsements. Moreover, Mr. Comitz has been named a "Top Attorney" by Arizona Business Magazine (Healthcare) and Ranking Arizona (Commercial Litigation).  

Comitz | Beethe has been named Top Boutique Law Firm by Ranking Arizona.   The firm is also affiliated with and endorsed by  various healthcare associations  including the Arizona Dental Association and the Arizona Osteopathic Medical  Association.    

Mr. Comitz is a member of the  State Bar of Arizona, the Maricopa County Bar Association, the American  Association for Justice, and the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association. In addition  to his pro hac vice appearances  throughout the country, Mr. Comitz is admitted to practice in the State of  Arizona and the U.S. District Court, Districts of Arizona and Colorado.    

Publication and Speaking Engagements   

Mr. Comitz’s work has been  published in numerous national healthcare publications, including Physician’s Money Digest, Anesthesiology News, The Journal of Medical Practice Management, Physicians Practice and Ophthalmology Management. His article  “The 10 Biggest Legal Mistakes Physicians Make When Filing a Claim for  Disability” was included in the SEAK, Inc. compilation The Biggest Legal Mistakes Physicians Make and How to Avoid Them.

Mr. Comitz is a respected source  of information on disability insurance and other legal topics. He was invited  to present his paper “Broadening Actions Under State Consumer Fraud Statutes”  at the ALI-ABA Conference on Life and Health Insurance Litigation in  Washington, D.C. He has served as a guest lecturer on pre-trial and trial  topics for the University of Arizona College of Law.  He is also regular speaker for healthcare  professional groups and associations, medical and dental practices and investment  groups.    

Education  

Mr. Comitz received his B.A. in  journalism, magna cum laude, from  Creighton University and his J.D., cum  laude, from Seattle University. During law school, he excelled as a Merit  Scholar and, through his academic achievement and legal scholarship, earned a  position as Associate Editor of the Law Review. Today, Mr. Comitz continues his  enthusiasm for the legal profession as an adjunct professor at Arizona State  University College of Law and Judge Pro  Tempore for the Maricopa County Superior Court.        

Contact our office online or call 480.998.7800 to speak with attorney Edward O. Comitz about your disability insurance claim.